If you’ve ever wondered where we go to eat in New York City, you’ve come to the right place.

While we do go out to restaurants in and around the city––from trendy and talked-about to hole in wall––sometimes, all we want is a dish of Factory Meatloaf, enormous Chicken Romano, and of course the avocado egg rolls––we sometimes need simple comfort foods like the colossal Chicken Romano.

The Cheesecake Factory is a favorite haunt for food bloggers. With their enormous servings, a wall of menu options, and delectable strawberry cheesecake, it’s no wonder they’re so popular. GUILTY.

Is this anything I should be embarrassed about? Maybe a tad, then.

Is this my shameless attempt to copy a Cheesecake Factory recipe? Absolutely.

Take a look around the tables at any Cheesecake Factory. The avocado egg rolls appear to be the most popular item on the menu. The filling is guacamole, with some larger chunks of avocado intentionally left to achieve a chunkier texture. I tweaked a dish from Damn Delicious, another well-known food blog, and added sun-dried tomatoes to it..

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE EGG ROLLS:

• 3 avocados
• 1 medium-size tomato
• 5 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 small red onion
• 2 tbsp. of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• lime juice
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 20 to 24 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg
• 3 cups of vegetable oil

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:

• 3/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup of sour cream
• 1 tbsp. of honey
• 1 red chili
• 1 clove of garlic
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Two avocados should be mashed in a bowl. Slice up a third of an avocado into thin rounds. A diced tomato, 5 chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 chopped red onion, and cilantro are all good additions.

2. With one corner pointed toward you (so it looks like a diamond shape), arrange the egg roll wrappers in front of you to begin wrapping the egg rolls. Make sure the avocado filling is placed in the middle of the wrapper, around 2 teaspoons. Wrap the corner around the filling, tucking the wrapper in tightly. To flatten the wrapper around the filling, press your fingers on either end and fold in the sides. The wrapper should be wholly rolled up when you’ve finished rolling. Seal the egg roll by dabbing it with beaten egg on the top corner of the wrapper. Continue with the rest of the egg roll wrappers and fill until all fillings have been used.

3. Using a heavy-bottomed pan, deep cast-iron skillet, or dutch oven, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F on medium-high heat. Set aside a plate of paper towels to be used for this purpose.

4. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside in a serving bowl for later use. Alternatively, in a blender or food processor, you may mince the cilantro, garlic, and red chili, then combine them with sour cream, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper.

5. Small batches of egg rolls should be fried at a temperature lower than 325 degrees F. (adding the egg rolls to cool down the oil). Using a spatula, stir them around for approximately 3 minutes until they’re golden brown and crispy.

6. When the egg rolls begin to brown, the oil around them will splatter. This indicates that the egg roll skin has reached the point at which the moisture in the filling has come into contact with the oil and that they should be fully cooked. They will explode if you cook them any longer. Keep an eye on your thermometer since it can rupture if cooked at a low temperature for too long. Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove any minute particles accumulated in the oil during frying. Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove any burnt particles from the oil.

7. Serve the egg rolls with your favorite dipping sauce once they’ve been fried!